Tracking green movements across Europe

22/02/2010

Whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to admit that no, there is not as much snow in the Himalayas as there used to be. Yes, that polar bear is getting rather frustrated with the fact that his playground is rapidly shrinking, and undoubtedly there are some thirsty cattle tongue-lolling their way round a dry river bed.

Now, you could go live in a cave and recycle your pee, or you could follow these easy travel guidelines. Firstly use Eurostar, the cross-channel operator who shouts loudest about its green credentials, and rightly so. By the end of 2008 it had achieved a 31% reduction in CO2 emissions per traveller, with a pledge to raise that to 35% by 2012, Eurostar.

Next, we have Green Tomato Cars, a car-rental firm launched in 2006 with just 4 cars, that now has a fleet of Toyota Prius cars – which translates as about 1200 tonnes less CO2 if their passengers had taken taxis, GreenTomatoCars.

And lastly, good old Brittany Ferries, which also does the UK to northern Spain route, managed to save around 2000 of fuel in 2008 – and that’s not from turning off the engines and floating across. On its ferries across the Bay of Biscay (one of the best places in Europe to spot whales and dolphins), it hosts researchers from marine research organisation Orca, who give presentations and relay sightings en-route. BrittanyFerries.